Maybe Tomorrow
by Amaranth1412
Summary: He was the only source of light in a world full of anguish and lies. They took him away, plunging her into the blackest night. Oneshot. KaiFem!Shin.


**Posted: 01/20/13**

**Edited: 01/21/13-fixed several mistakes, and fleshed out a couple of scenes**

**Word Count: 5,503**

**Warnings: Unbeta-ed, OOCness, crappy English, genderbent KaiShin**

**A/N: The unfortunate side-effect of indulging in a KaiShin angstfest…**

* * *

No one knew why Kudou Shinichi hated New Year's Eve so much.

Instead of rejoicing at the advent of another year like everyone else, the no-longer teenage detective sulked at home all day. When the last rays of daylight faded away, she dragged herself outside, staggering feverishly on her feet, her right fist wrapped tightly around the thornless stem of a single white rose. Forcing a fake smile on her face, she hailed a taxi like a normal person without a care in the world. After seating herself comfortably in the backseat, she closed her eyes and bowed her head, steeling herself against the violent sobs that threatened to overcome her. She couldn't cry here, not yet.

"Where are we going, Miss?" the driver asked casually, careful not to let his weariness show. In a few hours, he would be home, celebrating the holiday with his family, like everyone else in Japan.

"Tokyo Clock Tower," was the curt reply.

The driver sped off, humming to himself along the way, totally oblivious to the salty tear that rolled down his passenger's cheek.

They arrived an hour later. She flashed the driver a warm smile as she paid her fare.

"Happy New Year's Eve," he said, and she nodded in reply.

She made her way to a bench where she had a clear view of the gigantic clock face. The countdown would begin in several hours, and once again, she would silently greet the new year alone. She sat down slowly, eyes brimming with tears, and focused her gaze on the moon, which was nearly full tonight. The chilly air of winter didn't affect her; after all, the aching emptiness in her heart was far worse. This place was special to her, full of bittersweet memories…

She watched the crowd gather in the plaza, revelers who had come to watch the fireworks display held every year. Unlike her, they were all smiling and laughing, excited to greet the year to come. A cool breeze wafted past, playing with her brunette hair like a lover's gentle caress. Then the self-imposed dam broke and she wept, shoulders convulsing with each sob.

Shinichi was a great actress. Not nearly as good as her mother, formerly one of Japan's finest, but good enough to convince everyone with her act. She could smile everyday and pretend everything was perfectly fine, and then cry herself to sleep at night. But every New Year's Eve for the last three years, the pressure would get to her and she would break down.

Kudou Shinichi never looked forward to New Year's Eve.

Because it meant another year without him.

Maybe she'd get over it someday, move on with her life, and forget. Maybe the wounds would finally heal and she'd find happiness again.

Maybe tomorrow.

* * *

Shinichi raced breathlessly to the rooftop of the Suzuki Museum of Natural Art, eyes shining and heart pumping in anticipation. Her target this time: Kaitou 1412. She had something important to tell him—today she had figured out his identity, and couldn't wait to see how he would react. Pausing to catch her breath, she took time to ponder her relationship with the white-clad thief.

The first time they faced off was during Kid's Clock Tower heist a month before the Tropical Land incident when APTX 4869 reversed the aging process by ten years and she found herself trapped in the body of a seven-year-old. That night her best friend Ran dropped by her house on Beika Street searching for Kudou Shinichi and found a child wearing eyeglasses and dark blue uniform instead. Ran asked to know her name, forcing her to invent the alias Edogawa Cona, from the names of Edogawa Ranpo and Arthur Conan Doyle, minus the "n" to make it sound feminine. In time, other people discovered her identity, such as the Detective of the West, Hattori Heiji and the creator of the poison, Shiho Miyano, alias Haibara Ai. Her parents found out soon afterward, and so did her rival, the Magician in the Moonlight.

She remembered the first time she saw him, when he ghosted down onto the rooftop at night with his glorious white cape billowing behind. Dressed from head to toe in white, he was like a real phantom. She introduced herself as a detective, and he smirked amusedly. Then she witnessed his ventriloquism, and he managed to escape that night, disguised as a member of the Kid taskforce. He got away the next time, when she had him cornered on a ship's hold. He was the third criminal that had escaped her—the first two being Gin and Vodka—and she wasn't too happy about it. He clearly wasn't someone to be underestimated. They crossed paths every now and then, and soon she became known as Kid's greatest rival. At first, she had laughed at the irony-Kid's rival was, by manner of appearance, a kid. They didn't talk much during heists; she was more concerned with getting the jewel back, and he was busy planning his escape in a cloud of pink smoke. One of their most memorable confrontations was when they were on a rooftop, and she kicked a soccer ball at him, which he skillfully dodged, and then fired metal cards at her, then she pretended to trip and fall off the building, at which he immediately rushed down to save her, giving her a chance to aim a tranquilizer dart at him, which, irritatingly, he managed to evade again, and what followed was an epic chase of paraglider versus hang glider. Japan's greatest detective versus Japan's greatest thief. The Heisei Holmes versus the Heisei Lupin of the 21st century.

At first he was annoying, saying things like "A thief is a creative artist, a detective merely follows in his steps," "thieves and detectives are like the sky and the ocean, reflecting each other," "thieves and detectives are two sides of the same coin," "thieves and detectives are like the sun and the moon" and similar nonsense that made her want more than anything to slap the manic grin off his face. He was essentially saying that they weren't as different from each other as they seemed. Looking back made her wonder if that was his way of admitting that like her, he was lonely too, and wanted a friend to play with. But befriending an internationally wanted jewel thief? Preposterous! A thief and a detective were on opposite sides of the law, destined to be enemies forever.

Shinichi paused for a moment before dashing up another flight of stairs. Seriously, why did the elevator have to stop working at a time like this? Scaling a twenty-story building without elevators was certainly no easy task! Her heart was beating rapidly, whether from the strain of the climb or anticipation of a confrontation with her rival, she didn't really care. She raised her hand to brush aside the stray wisps of dark brown hair that clung to her slightly sweaty forehead. Once again, her thoughts wandered to the gentleman thief.

As time passed, she became quite fond of him. She loved the thrill of solving mysteries and puzzling tricks created by someone who was clearly her equal. She enjoyed the feeling of being the only one to corner the thief, while the rest of the taskforce was scrambling about chasing a dummy or glued helplessly to the floor. She was grateful for his "no one gets hurt" policy, a code which she wished all criminals would stick to. But then, did Kaitou Kid really count as a criminal in her eyes?

She remembered the day her attitude toward him turned a complete 180. That was when she was in her child form, tossed out the window of an airship by a criminal group that that threatened to release a deadly virus strain on Osaka. He had dived down to catch her. If he hadn't she'd be long gone, splattered on the ground like a fallen coconut. Of course, saving her was a cinch for the phantom thief, but to think he'd back out of his heist for her-she felt touched. At the moment, she had been too preoccupied trying to catch the crooks and save her friends onboard to enjoy the feeling of being cradled in Kid's arms as he soared through the sky in his hang glider. It was terrifying, knowing that a single mistake would send them crashing down, but also exhilarating. Soon she found herself daydreaming of racing with Kid on a hang glider of her own—a navy blue one, of course-with the night sky as their playground.

It wasn't long afterward before the visits began. He would drop by every so often, in the convenience store, at the park, in the Professor's kitchen, and even once at the Detective Agency. He would just pop out of nowhere—an old man today, a cute teenage girl the next, taking her by surprise when she realized that the person next to her was actually Kaitou Kid in disguise. Then she would invent a plausible excuse to Ran or the Detective Boys for her to hang out with a complete stranger. Once, when she and Hattori were in the middle of a case, he snuck up from behind, disguised as a blonde detective, and she had to intervene in her sickeningly sweet childish voice to prevent her detective friend from beating "Hakuba" to a pulp.

She found herself growing more attached to him with each encounter, and she couldn't help it. Although the shrinking effects of the poison kept her safe from Gin and his cohorts, there was always the risk that they would find her and Haibara someday and finish what they begun, permanently silencing Ran, Professor Agasa, and everyone she held dear. It only took a few well-placed bullets or a single bomb to do the job. So she maintained an invisible barrier between herself and everyone else, knowing that if she crossed, someone could end up getting hurt. But humans are social creatures, so distancing herself only made her lonely, a feeling she realized Kid felt as well. She wished there were someone she could actually open up to without fear of him/her getting killed because of associating with her. And surprisingly, she found her wish granted by the white-clad thief. They wouldn't suspect he had become her confidante, and even if they did, they didn't know his civilian identity. She felt he understood what she was going through, the pain, the lies, the fear, and regret—because he was experiencing the same. She didn't know what caused him to begin this jewel quest or even who he was, but it didn't matter. They were both lonely, both on a dangerous mission that could cost them their lives, both forced to hide behind masks and fake smiles, both forced to be strong for others, both fighting desperate battles with the odds greatly against them, both holding on to whatever beacon of hope remained. That was a connection they shared, and perhaps that was why she was such at ease around him.

It was a strange friendship between a detective and a thief, born out of mutual respect, understanding, and trust. With Ran perpetually fussing around her, the adults ignoring her, the Detective Boys being—well, the boys they were, and the slim chance that Haibara would discover the permanent cure and Black Organization would go down, she was sure she'd go insane. Then, when she found herself drowning in the sea of despair, life took a sudden turn for the better and dropped the magician onto her lap. He cheered her up when she was lonely, and gave her a rose when the boy she liked left her.

During one of his visits, he asked her if she had figured out who he was. She replied that she knew he wasn't the original Kaitou Kid, and he replied that his father was the original one, and his mother was the Phantom Lady.

"What will you do when you find out, Tantei-chan?" he had asked calmly, though she could detect a trace of sadness and apprehension in his voice. "Will you send me to jail in handcuffs?"

She studied him for a moment, then slowly shook her head. "Of course not. Besides, you may call me crazy, but I don't see you as a criminal."

"What am I to you then?" His response to her statement was almost automatic, catching both of them off guard.

She blushed slightly as she contemplated her answer. "A friend," she spoke at last. "But what will you do when you find your target? Hang your cape and glider for good?" She hoped she didn't sound too disappointed.

"Yes, and probably become a famous magician. Lately I've been thinking of holding magic shows around the world, like my-" His voice was cut off abruptly, as if he just remembered something unpleasant.

She raised an eyebrow, wondering why he stopped midsentence. He simply shook his head and looked away.

She sighed. Well, that was another mystery to solve, and she felt it was related to why he chose to become Kid. She didn't press further, instead changing the topic. "You know, I think you can be a detective. You have the skills and sharp wit for it. You're not so different from me."

"We're both kids after all," he declared matter-of-factly with a wink. They burst into laughter. The one looked like a kid, the other was named Kid—and at times like these, didn't mind acting like one. It was during moments like these that Shinichi could relax and laugh with carefree ease and pretend that the Black Organization never existed, that her life was not in danger, and that Kaitou Kid was just an ordinary teenager like herself, struggling to carve an existence in a chaotic world.

Once he dared her to chase him down the streets of Beika. It turned out to be a combination of hide-and-seek and tag, quite similar to the game of cat and mouse they played during heists. He took her to a sushi restaurant, beat her in chess—but only because she was distracted, and even joined one of the camping trips of the Detective Boys, disguised as traffic police officer Yumi. He performed several tricks for the kids, making them squeal in delight-except Haibara, who only yawned and demanded an explanation from Shinichi as to why she let the thief around. She reminded the irate blonde that the thief had helped them on the Bell Tree Express, and this was her way of returning the favor. Lame excuse it was, but whatever suspicions Haibara may have had, she dropped the matter with a nonchalant shrug.

Kid's favorite trick seemed to be making a rose appear in his hand in a puff of smoke. The first time, it had been white. Next, it was blue. And finally he produced a whole bouquet of white and blue.

"How'd you know blue's my favorite color?" she asked him once during a heist.

He simply grinned-that mysterious grin he flashed each time he got the upper hand, "Magicians never reveal their secrets. You should know that by now, Meitantei." He winked and she couldn't help but pout. He laughed and shoved a bouquet of blue roses in her face.

"Th-thanks," she muttered, unable to decide whether to feel grateful or mortified.

"Aww…Tantei-chan is so cute when she blushes. Remind me to bring along a rose on my next heist," he teased her.

Face flushed bright red, she activated her soccer-ball-inflating belt and kicked hard, aiming for his face. He went off laughing again, and she glared at him for several moments until Inspector Nakamori and the taskforce arrived and Kid flew away, leaving her to explain to an irate Nakamori what prompted her to bring along a bouquet of roses during a Kid heist.

The next thing she knew, she was learning magic from him. He was a patient teacher, and his eyes shone brightly whenever she mastered a trick with ease. The detective boys and especially Haibara kept turning quizzical looks on her each time she'd run off with a stranger or absentmindedly make a pencil disappear in a puff of smoke at school. Was Teitan Elementary's genius detective becoming a magician prodigy? They could never guess why.

Her life had taken a drastic turn ever since her encounter with the Black Organization. From high school detective genius Kudou Shinichi, she became "Cona-chan," brave and intelligent for her physical age, and friends with a wanted criminal. Could things get any weirder?

With the help of the CIA and FBI, she succeeded in taking down the Black Organization after two long years. A few members, notably Vermouth, escaped and went into hiding, but they never made any attempts on her life. Within a month, Haibara discovered the antidote, and Kudou Shinichi was reborn. Almost immediately, her face became a regular feature on newspapers. Kid had personally congratulated her and offered a bouquet of blue roses during his next heist.

A month passed, and she struggled to settle into her new life. Kid would still drop by, though not as often as before. Perhaps he thought she didn't need his companionship as much as before. But as the saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and she began thinking of the thief more and more. She admired him, though she would never admit it. She just called him a stupid thief and aimed a soccer ball or tranquilizer dart at him each time they met on a heist. Then he would hand over the jewel he stole and escape on his hang glider. It took quite a while to realize that the enigmatic thief had already stolen a treasure far more precious—her heart.

A week ago she passed by Ekoda to make preparations for Kid's upcoming heist, scheduled half an hour before midnight on New Year's Eve. To avoid attracting the attention of reporters, criminals, and any remaining members of the Black Organization, disguised herself with a curly wig and dark, oversized sunglasses. By mere coincidence, a teenage couple ambled past, arguing about Kid. Hearing the familiar name piqued his curiosity, and she carefully examined the boy. He was the same height as Kid, had the same unruly hair, and the same raspy voice. She followed them for a while, then he turned and she found herself face to face with a familiar pair of indigo eyes. She flashed a sweet smile, and turned away with a smug smirk plastered on her face. _Kuroba Kaito_, she muttered under her breath, _you are so busted._

At last Shinichi made it to the roof, and was only seconds from opening the door. She checked her watch: three minutes to twelve. She couldn't wait to find him on the roof, gem in his hand, back turned to the moon, cape billowing in the wind. Today was the day she'd tell him that she knew his real identity, and then maybe she'd confess—no, of course she wouldn't! Today was the day she'd finally land a soccer ball in the idiot thief's face! Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she turned the knob. At that moment, a shot rang out. Eyes widening, she burst the door open just in time to see a dark figure fall off the roof and into the street below.

_Oh great, another murder scene_, she groaned.

She spun around, searching frantically for Kid.

Only to be greeted by the sight of a dying thief lying near the edge, in a puddle of his own blood.

Her brain short-circuited in shock. Two seconds later, she snapped out of her panic-induced paralysis and ran over to his side. "Kid!" she screamed. _No, no, this can't be happening!_ She hoped—forced herself to believe that this wasn't a fatal wound.

"Tantei-chan," he muttered faintly. His voice was weak, and he was panting for breath.

"Kid! Kaito…Kuroba Kaito…" She never cried before, but now tears began spilling down her cheek. _I was too late. Too late!_

He cracked a weary smile. "So you know."

"We need to get you to a hospital. I'll call-" She was panicking, her voice was hysterical, and she her limbs were acting by pure instinct now. She fumbled for her cellphone, dropping it in her panic, and reached down to pick it up, when the thief gripped her arm to restrain her.

"It's useless. We both know I don't have much time left."

"No, no! You can't, Kid!" She shook her head violently, pushing away the thought, as if sheer willpower could keep him alive. "Everything will be okay, right? No one gets hurt, no one dies…"

She felt him slip something cold into her hand. "Tantei-chan…Shinichi, listen to me…" Her eyes widened. This was the first time he had addressed her by name. She stared at the jewel in her hands, speechless. It was a red ruby—as red as the blood blooming on his pristine white suit. "This is Pandora, what those men were after. Legends say it can grant immortality. My dad was killed because of it." He paused to catch his breath. "Destroy it. Don't let anyone else die because of it." His chest heaved with every breath, and his voice trembled. It broke her heart to see him in pain.

She held his hand. It was cold.

His expression turned serious. "Promise me you'll destroy it." She nodded.

Suddenly the crowd below grew wild. The New Year countdown had begun. Would Kid last until the coming year?

10…

Weakly, amid gasps for breath, he managed a grin for her sake. "You caught me. What will you do now?"

9…

Her mouth curved into a confident smirk. "I'll have to arrest you, and you'll have to escape," she tried—and failed—to sound cocky as usual. It was a desperate plea for him not to leave. Those men took everything away from her, and now that she had begun to rebuild her life, they came back from the grave and claimed him too. Once again, her world was crumbling down before her eyes, and she was utterly helpless to do anything.

8…

"If we had more time, we could have been friends, maybe more…"

Fresh tears cascaded down her face. Kid raised a gloved hand to wipe them away, and she clutched his hand, pressing it closer to her cheek. She wouldn't let go, she couldn't let him go. She wouldn't let Death take him from her. She had lost so much already.

7…

"Baka Dorobo," she chided him softly. "We're already friends. We're more than friends."

8…

"My father's killer is gone. With Pandora in safe hands, I can rest in peace." He gazed intently into her deep blue eyes which were clouded with tears. Though he did not cry, his eyes were full of sadness.

7…

"My only regret is not spending more time with you…"

6…

"Don't cry, Shinichi."

She brought her free hand to caress his cheek. He would be gone any second now.

5…

"I'll miss you…"

4…

"My favorite detective…"

3…

"We'll meet again someday…"

2…

"I love you."

Without thinking, she kissed him on the forehead. There was so much she wanted to say and do, so much to ask and so much to tell him, but that was all she could do at the moment.

1…

Kaito's lips curved into a contented smile, savoring his last moments on Earth with the one girl who had captured his heart. He had loved her for so long, and now he knew that she loved him too, and he never felt happier. Gradually he relaxed as the darkness claimed him, and closed his eyes for the last time. Kid the Phantom Thief was no more.

0…

His head sagged and his free hand dropped to the ground. The Magician in the Moonlight, the Heisei Lupin, her Phantom Thief, was gone forever. Down below the crowd erupted in cheers as fireworks lit up the night sky, drowning out her anguished wails and screams in the deafening noise. No one could hear her. Not even him. She clutched his lifeless body to hers in a tight embrace, burying her face in his shoulder, something she should have done when he was alive, but never got the chance to.

Once again, she felt so alone.

The next day, she got a hammer and finished the last task he gave her. His final wish before leaving the world forever. She crushed Pandora into pieces, pounding it with all her might. She poured all her regret and sadness into every blow, pulverizing it into fine powder. And when it was gone, she broke down in tears all over again. She attended Kuroba Kaito's funeral, introducing herself as a friend of his. Most of those present were Kaito's classmates. Her parents attended as well, expressing their grief over what happened. Yukiko hugged Kaito's mother Chikage, and they both cried. The poor woman had already lost her husband, and now her only son was taken from her. The inspector's daughter's eyes were red and swollen from so much crying, and she had to lean on Hakuba for support. Shinichi had no one to give her a hug, so she simply stared at the bouquet of white and blue roses she held. When it was her turn to approach the casket, she gazed tenderly into the picture of her deceased lover and lost herself once more in those indigo eyes. Strange, even in a picture, he seemed so alive. She watched through misty eyes as his body was cremated and his ashes were scattered on the river.

She never told anyone of his secret. Before the police arrived, she had stripped off his white clothes, top hat, and monocle. The news reported the cause of death to be stray bullet. Kid would live on forever, in the hearts of his many fans all over the world.

A gentle hand touched her shoulder. Turning, she found herself face to face with Kaito's mother. "You're Kudou Shinichi, aren't you?"

She nodded.

"You were there when my little boy died."

"It was my fault!" she exclaimed suddenly, before she could stop herself. "It was all my fault! If only the elevator worked! If only I was faster, if only I went to him sooner, he wouldn't have left us—I could have, I could have…" She broke down, unable to continue. Chikage wrapped her arms around her and pulled her into a comforting embrace.

"If Kaito were here, he wouldn't want us to cry like this. He'd prank us non-stop until our stomachs ached."

Shinichi tightened her grip on Chikage. She knew the older woman was as much a wreck inside as she was—maybe even more so, but was fighting to be strong for her and everyone else.

"Listen carefully, Shinichi," Chikage continued. "Stop blaming yourself. It wasn't your fault this happened. Kaito knew this was coming, and yet that didn't stop him from his mission. He was brave until the very end, my dear boy."

Shinichi smiled and closed her eyes, reminiscing happy moments spent with Kaito. Kaitou Kid wasn't the only one who would live on; Kuroba Kaito would too. Even if everyone else should forget, she and his mother never would.

When she had calmed down enough, she pulled herself free from Chikage's embrace, leaving the older woman to console Nakamori Keibu's daughter. They seemed like mother and daughter, and Shinichi wasn't surprised if Chikage moved in with the Nakamoris.

"Why did they kill him?"

She turned to the source of the voice and saw a blonde male approaching her.

She raised an eyebrow in feigned confusion. "Hakuba-san, what do you mean?"

He smiled. "You're not the only one who knows his secret." Seeing her eyes narrow at him, he quickly added, "He didn't tell me; I just figured it out. DNA can be quite helpful when one tasked himself with uncovering the identity of an internationally wanted thief." He paused to let his words sink in. "So who murdered Kuroba-kun, and why did they do it?"

She eyed him carefully for a moment. Could she trust him with the truth? He was a detective, so he should know how to keep secrets. Besides, he seemed genuinely sorrowful over the loss of his friend. He deserved to know the truth—the one truth.

"One of the aims of the organization I faced before was to find the secret to immortality. Legend has it that a certain jewel had the power to grant it, and they were after it. Kaito's father was killed because he wouldn't assist in their evil plans. Kaito searched for it to destroy it, and when they learned that he found it, they murdered him."

Hakuba's eyes widened in shock, but he said nothing.

"Before he died, Kaito entrusted Pandora to me, instructing me to destroy it immediately. It's now crushed into fine powder, at the very bottom of the ocean. No one else will ever have to suffer because of it."

"What a waste. Kuroba-kun's life was worth more than any gem. He was such a good friend," was Hakuba's parting remark as he took his leave.

When the ceremony ended, rain began to pour all over Ekoda, as though the heavens joined them in mourning the loss of their beloved Phantom Thief.

* * *

Three years had passed since then, but her memories of him were crystal-clear, like it was only yesterday that he had left this world.

Hours of crying left her tear ducts dry, but the pain remained. Clenching her aching chest, she spoke her lover's name the tenth time that night.

"Kaito."

She looked up, half-expecting him to appear out of thin air and scold her for crying like a weakling, but all she could see was her foggy breath fading away. He would never come back, and she knew it. Her precious thief was gone forever, one of the many casualties of the criminal syndicate that had once targeted her life. She vowed to do everything in her power to prevent this from happening again-children separated from their mothers, families broken, lovers torn apart. Life was far too precious to be taken away by a single bullet.

She knew trying to prevent murders and crimes was futile, for no one could stop death from taking its course. This was the natural order of things. When a person's time was up, there was nothing that could be done to take him back. But she found solace in the knowledge that in death, life is not ended. They would be reunited someday. Life went on, and she plunged into her work with renewed fervor, solidifying her reputation as one of the greatest detectives in the world. And everyday she waited, buoyed by happy memories of the past with Kaito. Each day was both a privilege and a responsibility. She would make the most of her remaining days, eagerly anticipating the moment when she would be reunited at last with her lost love.

The piercing scream of a rocket snapped her out of her trance, alerting her that the New Year countdown was about to begin. Burying her face in her hands, she desperately fought to banish the memory of what happened at this very minute, not too long ago.

"Here, take this," a silky voice snapped her out of her depressing thoughts. She looked up, brushing away the tears that stubbornly clung to her cheeks. Her eyes widened in surprise as her mind registered the woman's blonde hair and tall stature.

"The white rose will be lonely all alone, don't you think?" She offered a single blue rose to the half-dazed detective.

Quickly recovering her wits, Shinichi took the rose and muttered her thanks, her voice gradually reverting to its typical cool tones. "Vermouth, what are you doing here?"

"I was just passing by and happened to see you crying your heart out. You miss him, don't you? Your Phantom Thief."

"How'd you know?"

Vermouth simply put a finger to her lips and repeated her trademark catchphrase. "A secret makes a woman, woman."

Shinichi immediately deadpanned.

"Catch you later, Cool Gal," she said with a devious smirk. A couple of seconds later, the night sky was lit with dozens of brilliant fireworks. Shinichi watched the fireworks display for a full minute. Turning her gaze back to Vermouth, she was surprised to find no one in sight.

With quiet inner strength she drew from some unknown source, she walked towards the crowd, mingling with the myriad of faces.

On the bench, she left the white and blue roses, bound by a red cord that symbolized her undying love for Kaito.

With each rising and setting of the sun, she was one day closer to seeing him again. And when she did, she would hug him and never let go.

Maybe that day would come soon.

Maybe tomorrow.

* * *

**My first shot at Fem!Shin and the most angsty piece I've ever written, but I hope you, uh, enjoyed? O_O**

**Reviews are highly welcomed and truly appreciated!**

**Due to the reviews I've received so far, a companion fic with an alternate ending will be posted around the end of February, entitled The Most Precious Gem.**


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